It is unbelievable to think that our three weeks in Spain are almost coming to an end. With tomorrow being our last day to experience more components of Madrid, I feel like I have already witnessed countless new and impressive attractions throughout the cities of Valencia, Barcelona, Toledo, and Madrid. I would like to focus on the very first experience I encountered when going to church in a foreign country.
The very first church I went to in Spain was in Valencia and I was guessing that the mass time would be at 8:00 a.m., but I was clearly wrong because I had no idea how to get into the church and a sign on the garage door of the church said that mass was at 9:00 a.m. I was becoming a little worried because the church looked pretty sketchy on the outside and looked as if the church wasn’t active anymore. I went and got some coffee and returned to the same church thirty minutes later. Surprisingly the garage door was open and I felt so relieved that I wasn’t going to have to miss church that day. As soon as I walked into the church, I seriously felt my stomach drop. I was so overwhelmed by the beauty of this small church that I began to cry. I cried because the beauty of the detail in every component of the church was so raw and realistic that I felt closer to God than I ever have before. I began to take pictures, but no picture could perfectly grasp the beauty I was witnessing before my eyes and how it felt to be witnessing it.
As I traveled to the other cities in Spain, the churches just grew in their beauty. In Barcelona, my jaw dropped by how massive the Segrada Familia Cathedral was. In Toledo, I went to the second largest Cathedral in Europe and I was truly fascinated. By touring through that Cathedral I realized how God works in mysterious ways. I could just see many people around me taking in the beauty of all the unbelievable architecture and even if some of those people didn’t believe in God or weren’t Catholic, I could still see sparks of light in every single person. Even for myself, I felt like I have witnessed something so special that I need to work on growing closer to God and share my experience with others to help others grow closer as well. I am so thankful to have been able to see such beautiful architecture because just being able to witness those incredible art works has changed and motivated me as a Catholic even more.
Me and a Rosa- twins!
Inside the cathedral
La Sagrada Familia
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